So the next project was the step, or lack there of…
So I started by removing the hanging fiberglass from across the door way up to the wheel well.
After removing the boards running across the opening, RJ and I discussed how we wanted to tackle this project. With The Odyssey- we were going to be experimenting with some different methods than I had used on Serenity in an attempt to keep the cost down on the project. So we decided rather than buying more fiberglass products, we would purchase a small amount of plywood, bracketing hardware, and decent screws + lag screws to build a new step. We understood the result would be a bit Frankenstein-ish but with the goal of bed lining the floor and step in the end, we figured it would hide/blend in the hardware enough. What the above pictures do not show is that the steel side panels to the original step were still in tact hanging down on either side of the opening just out of view, which would provide a good place to mount into for support.
I would remove some of the original bolting for the step the previous owner had installed and utilize it along with a lot of new hardware. Installing a lot of bracketing inside and outside of the step, lagging into the substantial wood and into the metal step sides. What I don’t have here is pictures of the hours of me cussin’, cuttin’ and boltin’. 🤬🤣
In the end we had a super sturdy step- not the prettiest, but alas super rugged. I apologize for not having a good pic of the final product. I had RJ snap a current picture- which has subfloor laid on the top of the step (Which I will get to later), and Vycor laid on the bottom, (Which I will get to later), and spray foam showing at the seams. (Which I will get to later 😉 )
I had one more thing to fabricate and then we could start sealing and putting her all back together…
Geoff Murphy 2/10/2020